Wow, 2016 already? Most of us get amazed at how fast the years go by. So much accomplished, yet so much more, and yes, time for our New Year’s resolution. Interesting, do I remember what mine was last year? How did I do on my resolution? Is a resolution an exercise in futility, or can it truly be impactful for me and others?
I sit here and many times I write about my mother. Yes, I miss her and my father dearly. If I had one more day with each what I would not give. I am sure many of you feel the same. My parents taught me many lessons. Some I may have been stubborn to learn at the time but little did they know I was listening.
My mother, as mentioned before, was the best leadership coach who chose to be a housewife. She had great examples and was patient in teaching. My New Year’s resolution will be to demonstrate through action one thing she taught me a long time ago. My 2016 New Year’s resolution is to realize and demonstrate that “Everyone is a ten.”
Yes, there I was back at home from a day of school and our after school neighborhood football game. We had a neighborhood kid that was not well gifted in the sport as well as some of the other things that we did. I was complaining to my mother about him and the fact that he was on my team that day and we lost. My complaint came to the point where I said something demeaning about the person. My mother stopped me with her saying my name in Spanish, “Marcos Antonio, everyone is a ten.”
Everyone is a ten?
At first I did not understand her. She continued and repeated herself. “Marcos Antonio, everyone is a ten no matter how good they are in football.” The conversation continued, and my mother explained that I will find that as life goes on I will find things I just may not have the skill for. But me as an individual, I am a ten.
Everyone is a ten?
Yes, I understood, but why did he want to play football with us then? She explained he simply wanted to be accepted. She asked about the person’s character, with regards to his values. My answer was he was a person who did not do anything wrong, he was just awkward. I heard the Spanish again, “Marcos Antonio, everyone is a ten!”
My mother was a person of faith and raised us in the faith as well. So she stated that it was important to her that I understand that my significance is that I am a child of God and if I truly realize that fact then I will be able to face things in life when others do not treat me as a ten. But because I am a child of God, I am a ten, and no one can take that away from me.
Yes, my mother was a great teacher. I started treating others better even if others felt they were awkward or not gifted in the sport we were playing. As I have grown in business I realize what a valuable lesson my mother taught me. Everyone is a ten has allowed me to help teach other leaders this aspect, and as we demonstrate this we create a respectful environment.
Everyone is a ten has helped me realize that we will have employees in our business that may not have the natural gifts that others may have, and they may not succeed. However, because they are a ten this does not change their value as a person. If we treat them as a ten and they just don’t succeed they still have their dignity and respect. Yes, everyone is a ten.
Mom, thanks for the lesson. I will make sure and give the effort to personally treat everyone as a ten. I may not agree with them on many things. I may not share their interest or beliefs, but they certainly are a ten.
Just a follow up on that awkward kid back in school I spoke about. Well he attended our ten year reunion years back and he matured as a man and all the single ladies surely gave them their attention. In addition, he made a fortune in software. He certainly showed he was a ten. He was to begin with.
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